Happy Monday to all! In the worship songs and the preaching of God’s Word, we contemplated God’s mysterious workings. As we looked at Genesis 42 and Joseph’s first meeting with his brothers since they had sold him into slavery, we saw how God mysteriously works to deliver His people from death to accomplish His redemptive purposes. We saw how God guides His unaware children to fulfill His purposes and live. We saw how God elevates His servants to power and gives them wisdom to provide life to His people. We recognized that God test His people to purify them and bring them to repentance. We learned that God’s people often will not see God’s life-giving purposes amid the tests. What we, from a human perspective, think might destroy us as God’s people is used by God to save and rescue His people and allow the spread the gospel around the world. God works through crisis and weakness to show His great power. His Kingdom does not expand through the sword but often through the suffering of His children as they follow their Savior, whose suffering and death brought us forgiveness and life. God provides life to His children in the midst of death.
We will observe the Lord’s Supper in our morning worship gathering next Sunday, July 12.
We will have a quarterly business meeting after our worship gathering next Sunday, July 12. Please be praying about the important items of business with which we will be dealing.
Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.
Love being your pastor!
Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church